How God Encourages Us In Times Of Trouble – Day 2 of 3

This is a fact of life that we have all discovered. No matter a persons age, race, or social status trouble has a way of finding us all.

Thankfully there is help available for those of us who have chosen to follow Jesus because God the Father encourages his children in times of trouble. On day one of this three part series we discussed how God shows up to help right when we need most. (Click Here to go back to day one).

Let’s continue to look at our example from the life of the apostle Paul and discover another way that God helps His children through times of trouble.

Read Acts 23:1-11 (go ahead and reread our passage)

Key Verse: “That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.” ‭‭Acts 23:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Your Name on God’s Lips

Not only does God show up for Paul but God encourages Paul by calling him by name.

It shouldn’t be any kind of a surprise to us that God knew Paul’s name. He knew Paul by his previous name when he called him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:4) so it only goes to reason that God would know Paul’s current name just as well.

Paul must have felt honoured, even in the midst of his struggle, to have the God who spoke creation into being now speaking he is very own name. Paul was being accused of many false things. He had even mistaken for an Egyptian rebel who had started a rebellion in the area (Acts 21:38). It seemed like everyone around him was either lying about him or believing the lies others had spread.

By speaking Paul’s name God reassured Paul that he knew who Paul really was even if others around him didn’t know him. God knew him personally and God knew how he felt and what he was going through.

God does the same for us today. Our names are on His lips. He knows how we feel. He knows where we’ve been. He knows where we are going. He understands our trials and struggles.

Whatever you may face today you can be encouraged to know that God understands and He knows you.